Trauma wounds victims by disconnecting them from themselves, others, and God. It shatters their sense of self and undermines their belief in a meaningful and safe world. Trauma destroys trust and leaves victims feeling abandoned. Without proper care, this can lead to disorders like PTSD, depression, substance abuse, and more. For healing, helpers must focus on reconnecting victims to themselves, others, and God by rebuilding trust, autonomy, competence and safe relationships through empowering experiences.

1. HOW DOES TRAUMA WOUND?
Trauma and Its Impact on Victims

2. TRAUMA: Means Wound
Trauma is defined as: a psychologically
wounding experience (physical, sexual,
neglect, institutional, intergenerational,
disasters) that induce powerlessness,
fear (terror), recurrent hopelessness
and a constant state of alert.
National Center on Trauma-Informed Care

3. Trauma is the “affliction of the powerless
… the overwhelming of normal human
adaptations to life … an experience of
intense fear, helplessness, loss of
control and threat of annihilation.”
The experience is intensified when the
victim is taken by surprise, trapped,
pushed to exhaustion, physically
injured or violated, exposed to extreme
violence or grotesque death.
Judith Herman

4. TRAUMA WOUNDS BY:
1. Shattering the structure
of the self
2. Undermining the belief system
in a meaningful and safe world
3. Destroying a relational sense
of trust—feeling abandoned
by God and man

5. Trauma Causes a Disconnect
… from Pain
Circuit breaker in the house
Surge protector on your electronics

6. What Elements Intensify the
Trauma?
• Human involvement in the pain
• Intent—accident or purposefully done
• Element of evil (assault + humiliation +
sadistic enjoyment)
• Degree of fear and terror
• Degree of bodily harm or threat to life
• How—gruesome, horrific or catastrophic

7. TRAUMA WOUNDS BY:
1. Shattering the structure
of the self

8. Trauma Wounds by Shattering
the Structure of the Self
• It disconnects self from self …
something has to withdraw, numb,
get buried or walled off inside.
• When danger …
fight … flight … freeze

9. Trauma Wounds by Shattering
the Structure of the Self
• It disconnects self from self …
something has to withdraw, numb,
or get buried
• It erodes your positive sense of self

10. Trauma Wounds by Shattering
the Structure of the Self
Power used against her damages
her sense of dignity, value,
self-esteem and respect.
She is denied:
•Own voice and opinion
•Control over her own body
•Own effectiveness to avert the bad

11. When power is used against any
person it damages their sense of
autonomy.
• Initiative is thwarted.
• When initiative is thwarted
helplessness and hopelessness
begin to take over.
• A positive sense of self is lost!

12. Power used against her
divides her from herself!

13. • 65% of female sex trafficking victims
sustain serious physical internal
injuries
• 68% of trafficked females meet the
clinical criteria for PTSD
• 80% of those trafficked were abused
in the home

14. Risk Factors for Developing PTSD
• Women are twice as likely
• Adults under 25
• Less than a college education
• Childhood traumas
• Deprivation, divorce before age 10
• Adverse life events: job loss, divorce,
health problems etc.
• Lack of social support after event

15. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Has Three Elements
1. Re-experiencing symptoms
2. Avoidant, numbing symptoms
3. Hyperarousal symptoms

16. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:
1. Re-experiencing Symptoms
• Intrusive recollections
• Traumatic nightmares
• PTSD flashbacks
• Trauma-related triggers evoke
psychological distress or
physiological reactions

17. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:
2. Avoidant/Numbing Symptoms
• Avoiding trauma related thoughts &
feelings, activities, places & people
• Amnesia for trauma-related memories
• Diminished interests
• Feeling detached
• Restricted range of emotions
• Sense of foreshortened future

18. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:
3. Hyperarousal Symptoms
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Difficulty concentrating
• Hypervigilance
• Exaggerated startle response

19. TRAUMA WOUNDS BY:
1. Shattering the structure
of the self
2. Undermining the belief system
in a meaningful and safe world

20. A LOOK AT THE BEGINNING:
Development of attachment in
an infant:
• Trust develops as mother meets
baby’s biological & emotional needs.
• Identity is formed through the
reflection of self in the mother’s gaze
• Emotional capacity is developed
through accurate mirroring by mother
of her baby’s feelings

21. Daniel Shore (neurobiology):
Babies learn best in a state of JOY!
What is joy? How do we define it?

22. Daniel Shore (neurobiology):
Babies learn best in a state of JOY!
What is joy? How do we define it?
“I am happy to see you!” 

23. Daniel Shore (neurobiology):
Babies learn best in a state of JOY!
What is joy? How do we define it?
“I am happy to see you!” 
The baby will look at mother’s left eye
to discern her true emotions

24. When there is
a disconnect
Baby loses security
Joy is gone
Confusion
Needs unmet
Emotional distress
Fear
Progressive withdrawal
or constriction

25. A child must develop the capacity to
Form intimacy
Take initiative
Form identity
Self-soothe
Regulate body
Trust
Feel safe

26. A child must develop the capacity to
Sense control
Personal power
Sense of self
Have hope
And of course, children learn it best
while in a state of JOY

27. A child develops But in the abused
the capacity to: child’s environment:
Form intimacy Perverted relationships
Take initiative Controlled by abuser
Form identity Defined “Slave/Whore”
Self-soothe Lack of solace
Regulate body Body is at disposal
of others
Trust Caretakers/people
are untrustworthy

28. Safety Lack of protection
Sense control Situation is terrifying
and unpredictable
Personal power Situation hopeless
Sense of self Others are cruel,
helpless, uncaring
Have hope Abandoned to power
without mercy

29. The child adapts, creates a persona
or false self and becomes what the
environment necessitates.
All actions (early decisions) are a
child’s attempt at a solution to belong,
get love, be safe.

30. 2. Trauma undermines the
belief system in a meaning-
ful, orderly and safe world.
The person’s world is
controlled by, limited by,
and monitored by their
abuser, handler or “owner.”
It may have rigid rules or
random chaos … but it is
rarely safe.

31. TRAUMA WOUNDS BY:
1. Shattering the structure
of the self
2. Undermining the belief system
in a meaningful and safe world
3. Destroying a relational sense
of trust—feeling abandoned
by God and man

32. 3. It destroys a relational
sense of trust feeling
abandoned by God and man
• Those entrusted with your
care and safety are the
abusers
• You finally tell and it doesn’t
matter
• The authorities are in on it
• You feel everyone can see
but no one notices or helps

33. Her world is different
from her friends at school.

34. Who Are the Abusers?
Who are the Traffickers?
• Father, mother, brother,
uncle, boyfriend, coach,
teacher, peer, someone
they meet on the street
or online
• Not always organized criminals
• Both men and women
of varying ages
• Any ethnicity or race

35. Mexican cartels
are paying
young men to
date young
women for the
purpose of
betraying them
and handing
them over to
traffickers.

36. Who can ever
be trusted?
When/how does safety
and freedom come?

37. Who can ever
be trusted?
When/how does safety
and freedom come?
And if you pray …
and nothing changes?

38. TRAUMA WOUNDS BY:
1. Shattering the structure
of the self
2. Undermining the belief system
in a meaningful and safe world
3. Destroying a relational sense
of trust—feeling abandoned
by God and man

39. SO HOW DOES TRAUMA WOUND?
By disconnecting the victim from
SELF … OTHERS … GOD

40. SO HOW DOES TRAUMA WOUND?
By disconnecting the victim from
SELF … OTHERS … GOD …
resulting in a variety of disorders

41. Psychological Impact
• Acute stress disorder
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Anxiety disorders
• Dissociative disorders
• Eating disorders
• Self-harming disorders
• Sleep disorders

42. Psychological Impact
• Anxiety and stress disorder
• Attachment disorder
• Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
• Conduct disorder
• Depression
• Developmental disorders
• Learning disorders

43. Psychological Impact
• Somatic disorders
• Substance abuse disorders
• Impulse control disorders
• Mood disorders
• Flashbacks

44. SO HOW DOES TRAUMA WOUND?
By disconnecting the victim from
SELF … OTHERS … GOD …
resulting in a variety of disorders

45. SO HOW DOES TRAUMA WOUND?
By disconnecting the victim from
SELF … OTHERS … GOD …
Next: How to Help Heal—Not Harm

46. HOW HELPERS WOUND
THE WOUNDED
The Do’s and Don’ts of Working
with Trauma Victims for Lay People

47. Trauma Wounds by
Disconnecting the Victim from
SELF … OTHERS … GOD …

48. Trauma Wounds by
Disconnecting the Victim from
SELF … OTHERS … GOD …

49. Trauma Wounds by
Disconnecting the Victim from
SELF … OTHERS … GOD …

50. Trauma Wounds by
Disconnecting the Victim from
SELF … OTHERS … GOD …
Put simply
To heal - help her re-connect with
SELF … OTHERS … GOD …

51. Trauma & terror
disempowers and disconnects
Recovery empowers
and re-connects

52. Recovery can take place
ONLY within the context
of relationships.
It cannot occur
in isolation.

53. HOW DO WELL INTENTIONED
HELPERS WOUND?
By separating ourselves
from those we are trying to help:
•By our dress

54. HOW DO WELL INTENTIONED
HELPERS WOUND?
By separating ourselves
from those we are trying to help:
•By our dress
•Our choice of words

55. HOW DO WELL INTENTIONED
HELPERS WOUND?
By separating ourselves
from those we are trying to help:
•By our dress
•Our choice of words
•Our opinion of them

56. HELPERS CAN ALSO RE-WOUND:
• By doing “secondary wounding”

57. HELPERS CAN ALSO RE-WOUND:
• By doing “secondary wounding”
• By taking away their autonomy

58. HELPERS CAN ALSO RE-WOUND:
• By doing “secondary wounding”
• By taking away their autonomy
• By replicating the dynamics from
their abuse

59. HELPERS CAN ALSO RE-WOUND:
• By doing “secondary wounding”
• By taking away their autonomy
• By replicating the dynamics from
their abuse
Remember the ways they may have
been controlled—

60. Methods of Control
Robbed of identity and
personhood:
•Identification confiscated
•Given a new identity,
including a new name
•Branded/tattooed
•Told what to wear
•Must ask permission

61. SO WHAT DOES SHE NEED?

62. SO WHAT DOES SHE NEED?
REPARATIVE EXPERIENCES
Building positive identity
and autonomy as was
done in the beginning
by mother and child.

63. REBUILD:
• Trust
• Identity
• Autonomy
• Initiative
• Competence
• Capacity for intimacy
• Safe relationships
EMPOWERMENT

64. WHAT DO NORMAL PEOPLE DO?

65. WHAT DO NORMAL PEOPLE DO?
• Counting light bulbs
• Discovering preferences
• Learning how to play
• Seeing self-advocacy
& fair fighting and other stories

66. Other helpers who help the wounded!
They love, are loyal, uncritical,
and their look says
“I’m happy to see you!”
= JOY

67. Learn to do good.
Seek justice.
Help the oppressed.
Defend the orphan.
Fight for the rights
of widows.
Isaiah 1:17

68. “He has sent me to
proclaim freedom
for the prisoners …
to release the
oppressed”
Jesus
Luke 4:18